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RadBear's Cost Cutting Tips

RadBear\
This really isn't so much an Instructable as a description of tips we've used to save money. Meaning you won't find a step by setp solution to your economic woes, just brief descriptions of stuff that has saved my family some money.

(And no I'm not going to tell you to buy in bulk or buy generic brand foods because I'm sure you've already thought of that. But these do help. But don't buy generic Oreos, Cheerios or Dr. Pepper. They just aren't the same.)
 
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Step 1Put The Dog to Work

Put The Dog to Work
We have three greyhounds. They eat a lot, plus they need heartworm preventative, flea and tick preventative and medical care. If you have a dog (or do some research) you quickly find out how this can add up to a bundle of cash.

So when we heard about the vet school in town looking for blood donors we signed our youngest up. Greyhounds tend to have the universal donor blood type. So in exchange for his blood every few months we get his food, heartworm preventative, flea & tick preventative and some medical care for free. This has saved us a lot of money.

The other upside is the he is getting experience meeting strangers and becoming more socialized. Since he came to us a very shy boy this has really helped him come out of his shell.
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34 comments
Mar 11, 2010. 7:04 PMgeminiinstructable says:
Good 'ible! Some advice:

In the summer months you could dig up a small area in your backyard and make a firepit with some rocks on the edge.  Get some long branches off a tree and use them to cook hot dogs and such.  Or, get a grill plate and make a cheap BBQ.
Jan 7, 2010. 5:39 PMdanber says:
Some really good ideas. I personally like buy second hand books really cheap from secondhand stores and online, read them, then sell them (for more than I payed for if I can) And I get a good read and make money at the same time!
Sep 17, 2009. 6:18 PMWidget83 says:
Wrapping the toaster oven pan in foil would not save money due to the cost of the foil compared with a short splash under a tap to clean. Along with the effects on the environment, I don't think this is a good idea. That being said, making use of a toaster oven for toasting/reheating smaller items is genius. Thanks for this tip.
Sep 9, 2009. 7:27 PMFoaly7 says:
Hey! The Great Value brand Cheez-it knockoff are just as good as the real deal. Don't diss the Generics of the world!
Jun 23, 2009. 2:00 AMstephenlast says:
i reckon you should just race them!
May 5, 2009. 5:11 AMbcmummy says:
Our library also offers DVD and VHS lending... though they may be limited there are several classics and documentaries that DEFINITELY beat Blockbuster or Netflix.
May 5, 2009. 5:09 AMbcmummy says:
This is especially true with Loratadine, better known as Claritin ;) Equate Loratadine works just as well as Claratin and costs MUCH less!
Jan 12, 2009. 2:42 PMkatandtonic says:
This is genius. Of course pets need blood too - I don't know why I never thought of this!
Apr 20, 2009. 9:00 PMamericangeiko says:
1 pint of blood is actually worth $300-$500 on the market. (Don't believe me, ask how much it'll cost for a transfusion the next time you see your Doc.)

But, if you donate plasma, which isn't whole blood, but just white blood cells, then you can get paid a minimum of $20 a visit, and visit up to twice a week!

There's also companies like Life-Sera and Serologicals that are plasma "study" groups that basically look for people who've already been vaccinated against something so that they can take their antibodies and give them to people who can't take the vaccination.

They will actually *re-vaccinate* you, and then pay you upwards of $30-$50 a visit, and you're still able to visit twice a week. I was doing a Hep-B vaccination study and was making $70 a week for about 4 hrs of my time.
Apr 20, 2009. 9:02 PMamericangeiko says:
Paperbackswap.com will let you swap books with millions of other users all over for the cost of postage!
Oct 23, 2008. 2:08 PMcazomatic says:
Thanks for the tips. I have already been going to the library and buying generics at every turn, but I had no idea you could get free dog supplies in exchange for blood. I wonder how a toaster oven compares to a microwave as far as energy use? Also, speaking of energy use, if you wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot, you reduce your bill by the amount you would have spent heating that water.
Apr 12, 2009. 9:12 PMyanggers says:
microwave oven will heat up faster if the food has high water content and is covered, not sealed but enough to keep most steam from escaping. Today I just cooked a bunch of my garden greens in one minute using those big yogurt tubs that are Polypropylene (recycle PP 5) with lid loosely on. Microwave ovens agitate molecules, and the oxygen atom of H2O is really sensitive to it. I never bothered to look into is before.. hehe. They also agitate other molecules for sure, and actually can do some freaky stuff to some proteins compared to good ol' heating: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18240290 . Didn't know that either..
Apr 4, 2009. 7:36 PMMcDouche says:
You can save more money on dog-food by just adopting more little puppies and feeding THEM to rover :D
Mar 12, 2009. 9:20 AMhishealer says:
There are also Used Book Stores around that will trade your used books for "new to you" books you haven't read yet. The one in my hometown has a ton of romances, but is kinda skimpy on my favorite sci-fi and fantasy... Still, I have found some great buys for cheap and traded in some real stinkers for them!
Jan 15, 2009. 4:50 PMcncarlton says:
Good stuff!! A note on using the toaster oven... in the summer time, you can move the toaster oven out to the garage (or patio, or wherever) and use it out there... so you aren't paying to HEAT the food AND to COOL the house from the heat it gives off. Same thing with a crock pot. Just make sure it's up on a heat-resistant table, or the hot exterior could burn a hungry and/or curious dogs' nose. :-( Putting an old blanket around your crock pot will allow it to keep a set temperature and use less energy... but be careful if you have an old crock pot... some of them don't really regulate temps all that well, so make sure to check your food, or turn it down accordingly with the new insulation. Since I'm on a roll here.... you could let things warm up to room temperature (depending on what you're cooking, this isn't great for pastry recipes) after taking them from the fridge and baking/heating them. Because then you're paying/using energy to heat the food an extra 40 degrees or more (depending on ambient temps). In the opposite direction, right now, I'm using the bitter cold in Michigan, and my snowy patio to take some soup down to freezing, then I'll put it in the freezer. Why pay to cool it, when it's cold for free outside? (currently 2F outside). I have a couple of gallon jugs of water that I let freeze outside, then put into my fridge every few days... helps keep things cold and doesn't use any energy above walking to the sliding door and back to the kitchen. Thanks for the instructable! Christine
Nov 20, 2008. 10:38 PMCalorie says:
Generic drugs are great. Many over the counter drugs (non-prescription) generics and brand names are made by the same exact company with the same exact formulas. This is called price discrimination A less formal description for the effect can be found at this introductory economics website

Basically, it allows a company to produce many sorts of products at various prices which targets different individuals with the same product. In another case, it is used to differentiate between the perceived value of a good. There are a lot more examples to read about listed in the links above. The second link is more user friendly. That website may answer some of the questions you might have about why the world works the way it does.

Anyrate, people have an often false belief that the more expensive a good is, the more superior it is.
Oct 26, 2008. 7:57 PMtreep1 says:
I NEVER would have thought of this! How wonderful that you're getting so much of his care in exchange for a little blood! GREAT tip!
Oct 25, 2008. 3:43 PMlbailey825 says:
Good tips - I would add to check your library for music, videos and video games also. Music CDs are usually free, as are some of the DVDs. At our library, tv shows are free, "instructional and educational" (which covers LOTS of children's items) are free, and movies are $1 for 2 weeks. They also have video game rentals for $1-2 each. Also, make friends with the librarian. My 8 year old son is very into forensics now, and the librarian has bought about a dozen different titles for their children's collection for him. All he did was ask nicely, and they looked up some titles on amazon. Then the librarian filled out the forms, ordered the books, and put them on hold for him so that he could be the first to read them.
Oct 22, 2008. 1:07 PMmike_d214 says:
Is that the head from the Charmin commercials, haha
Oct 22, 2008. 9:20 AMbosherston says:
Fantastium! Can you still get that stuff? I thought that went out with kaolin and morphine. Nice instructable, support the Libraries.
Oct 21, 2008. 12:58 PMdiygirl says:
I think generic cheerios taste the same. :) BUT, I totally agree with you on the toaster oven! I LOVE my toaster oven and have almost never been without one since I was a teenager living at home. I make biscuits, cookies, and other small things in mine and re-heated pizza is SO much better from the toaster oven. I've even broiled steaks in mine. You have to adjust the temp for the small space, though, or your stuff will burn.
Oct 22, 2008. 7:54 AMdiygirl says:
Well, it's really easy so I think it would be a short instructable. haha They just have to be small enough to fit into it, and not so thick that they're too close to the burner on top. Also you have to be familiar with how hot your oven runs. Like when I make cookies from frozen cookie dough (eight fresh cookies is fine for my two kids versus having to make the whole roll in the oven); in the large oven you'd put them in at 350-400 degrees, but in the toaster oven even 200 will burn them if you put them in right away. But if you let it heat up to 200 and THEN put them in, they'll cook right. If you put them in at 350-400, you'll have blackened cookies in about 60 seconds. :)
Oct 20, 2008. 6:02 PMChrysN says:
Switching to generic drugs is a great idea, our province has done that and is saving a lot of money (we have public heath care).
Oct 21, 2008. 1:25 AMMcDouche says:
Lol at image on step one. Your dog looks depressed, as if he's a needle junkie and the vets have been 'hooking him up' when they take the samples - you know, just to make him that little bit more willing. :P 4 stars for you (-1 for letting the dog on the couch)
Oct 19, 2008. 8:56 AMLinuxH4x0r says:
Good tips! Our library had due dates, but no late fees

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Author:RadBear(Don't have one)
I'm cheap and like to use what I have on hand and I really enjoy taking things apart to salvage parts. This, the use of epoxy and the Dremel are the only sources of consistancy among my projects.